Project Runway All Stars Winner Mondo Guerra Unveils Dress in Honor of World AIDS Day

Fashion designer and Project Runway All Stars winner, Mondo Guerra, in collaboration with Merck, unveiled an original dress created by the designer and inspired by the HIV Community. The dress is an embodiment of the Community's courage and commitment, and was designed to help inspire people living with HIV to have an open dialogue with their doctor - a key component of the I Design campaign that Mondo and Merck have been bringing to the Community this year. The one-of-a-kind dress will be premiered on World AIDS Day, commemorated on the first of December each year, and will be unveiled on the campaign website, www.ProjectIDesign.com.

"I believe that fashion, as with many forms of art, can serve as a great conversation starter," said Mondo Guerra. "I was inspired by the people I've met through the I Design campaign and a mural created by the HIV Community, and artistically wanted the dress pattern to be abstract to symbolize how every person is different. I hope this dress created for World AIDS Day can be used to further remind people living with HIV about the importance of having meaningful discussions with their doctors."

The commemorative World AIDS Day dress marks another occasion for Mondo, through his work with the I Design campaign, to further spark awareness around the importance of patient-physician communication. On the I Design website visitors can:

Draw upon their own artistic expression, by creating a digital textile representing their "tailored" approach to treatment

Download a conversation checklist, the inspiration for the dress, which offers tips on how to engage in an open and honest dialogue with your doctor

Watch a new video of Mondo and renowned HIV specialist, Dr. Michael Gottlieb, discussing the importance of patient-physician communication

About Mondo's "One-of-a-Kind" HIV Community Inspired DesignThe "muse" for the dress' design was a mural created by the Community at the 2012 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), one of the largest annual HIV gatherings in the nation. Each person's artistic and expressive contributions visually demonstrate how everyone approaches managing HIV differently. In constructing the dress, Mondo used design elements representing the multiple layers of the I Design campaign:

The black bodice and silhouette represent laying the foundation – Taking some time to prepare for appointments can help patients make the most out of every doctor visit

The use of color blocking represents personalization – Meaningful dialogue with a doctor is important in taking into account each person's unique medical and personal needs

The red sheer overlay symbolizes the finishing touch – People living with HIV are all different, which is why patients should work with their doctor to find a "tailored" treatment plan

About I DesignI Design is a national HIV education campaign led by Merck and fashion designer Mondo Guerra aimed at helping to empower people living with HIV to have open and meaningful discussions with their doctors about their treatment plan based on their medical and lifestyle needs. To learn more about the campaign visit www.ProjectIDesign.com, where you can design a digital textile illustrating your approach to managing HIV, download a conversation checklist to help patients work with their doctor to "tailor" their treatment plan, and view videos and photos. For additional tips and to follow Merck and Mondo's collaboration on I Design, join Merck and Mondo on Twitter @Merck and @LoveMondoTrasho.